Gavin and Gavin

Irish sisters deliver a personal show that’s distinctly close to home

‘I’m the feistier, gobbier one. Lauretta’s quieter,’ says Sharon Gavin about her older sister, the other half of Gavin & Gavin. ‘But if you piss her off, she’s the Incredible Hulk.’

Tongue-in-cheek bitchiness and sharp-elbowed one-upwomanship is all part of the routine for these sisters who grew up competing for roles in stage musicals and BBC sitcoms before teaming up to write comedy. After quirky, demented character sketches in their past Fringe shows Cracking Up and Our Funny Bones, they’re back with their most personal show so far. ‘It’s our memories of growing up in the scattiest Irish family in the world,’ says Lauretta, ‘right up to me meeting my husband last year.’

Marriage and singledom get a look-in from comedy’s Venus and Serena Williams (single Sharon currently lives with Lauretta and her husband), ex-boyfriends’ performances are acted out in an ‘air-shagging’ section, and they explain what ‘bad mood competitions’ involve. Before Edinburgh, the Gavins are busy finding a home for the sitcom they’ve written about their family’s construction company. ‘Our material is definitely close to home,’ says Lauretta. ‘Our parents are getting scared to speak in front of us now in case conversations end up in our act.’ (Claire Sawers)